The Green Bay Packers scored 25 straight points to overcome a two-touchdown deficit to defeat the Falcons at the Georgia Dome on Sunday night. Now, the Falcons are 2-3 with the season virtually one third complete. This comes after a 2010 season when they lost just three regular season games.
There are plenty of reasons for Falcons fans to slump their shoulders and sink their chins into their collective chests. Including last season’s playoff loss to these same Packers, Atlanta has lost four of their last six games and two out of the last three at the dome. It may seem hardly possible, but some things are going right for the 2011 Falcons.
The leaders on this team are taking accountability and are definitely on the same page. If you close your eyes at different points of head coach Mike Smith’s and quarterback Matt Ryan’s post game press conferences, you’ll notice they say a lot of the same things. Neither one shies away from their responsibilities on the game’s outcome. When Smith was asked about the offensive play calls after the Falcons took a 14-0 lead on the defending world champions, he said, “That is 100 percent my responsibility. When Ryan was intercepted on a pass that tight end Tony Gonzalez got a hand on but could not catch, he said, “I didn’t see it. I was on the ground, [it must have been] high.”
There was no panic in these men, no fire alarms pulled. Smith reminded his audience that Sunday’s upcoming game against Carolina was divisional game and that those games against the NFC South rivals are the ones that can make or break a team.
Sean Witherspoon is growing up right before our eyes. “Spoon “ recorded a team high 11 tackles against the Packers. He flew around the football and into collisions all night. He also collected a sack from his middle linebacker position. Afterwards, Weatherspoon said the team started out “fast” but failed to play a full 60 minutes of quality football needed against an undefeated team like Green bay.
Overall, the defense sacked Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers four times on Sunday. Atlanta had gone the two previous games without a sack. And, more notably, the defense was able to apply the pressure without John Abraham who missed the game with a hip injury. Another good sign was that off season free agent acquisition Ray Edwards tallied his first sack as a Falcon.
Another reason for optimism is tight end Tony Gonzalez. He continues to produce as a go to guy for Ryan. If you were looking for an MVP for the offense through five weeks, look at the future Hall of Famer. Number 88 had the ball thrown to him on eight recorded plays and came away with six catches against Green Bay. With seven more catches, he will have the second most grabs of any receiver in the NFL history. (He is currently fourth on the list with 1,096 receptions).
No, it was not a good night to be a Falcons fan. No doubt about it. That said, Smith pointed out that with five games played, the season is just beginning the “second quarter.” Minutes later, as if on cue, Ryan stood at the same podium vacated by Smith and reminded the press, owner Arthur Blank, general manager Thomas Dimitroff and other members of the Falcons family, “[This season] is a marathon.”
Falcon fans have to hope the team is ready to pick up the pace.
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